top of page

"King Charlemagne"

This is a photo of King Charlemagne. Rather, since he died in 814 AD, it’s a photo of a statue that depicts a bearded man with a crown and a stick. It stands in front of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. Since the base of the statue says “Charlemagne,” I’ll go with that.


I assume it’s still there despite the fire. I hope so. I’m a relative.


Or so I was told. I made it a point to take this pic during my 1981 pilgrimage to Europe because I understood that due to extensive genetic research, I was a direct descendant. In other words, someone told me it was so.


Well then, what happened to all the money?


For the uninformed, this ancient cowboy with a stick once owned most of Europe. Apparently, among other stout feats, he broke the Franks, the people who eventually created France. At the beginning of the ninth century, this dude held all the “reigns.”


Again, where’s my money?


I feel like I’m in one of those mystery movies where they read the will and all the dough goes to the maid. Not that maids don’t deserve some money, but all of it? Seems in this case, the maid got all of France and most of Europe. How did that happen?


The partial answer I found with Ancestry.com. You subscribe, spend countless hours, and eventually a family tree happens. If you are a member, you understand. If not, and you don’t have patience, try dance lessons.


Over time, I created an inspiring family tree. My Acree family line eventually ends in Bertie County, North Carolina in the late 1600’s. Prior to that, records become sketchy and certainly nothing going back to the great King. Impressive, but at some point, we lost France.


According to Ancestry, I have a direct, generational, unbroken, father-to-son ancestry line to wealthy landed gentry in North Carolina. Not exactly France, but a plantation in North Carolina producing this new plant tobacco is land worth holding. To pass on, father to son, generation to generation.


That didn’t happen either. No France. No North Carolina plantation. No King Charlemagne. More like “Kid Charlemagne.” (Sorry, that’s a cheap, Steely Dan reference.)


I have pondered this since my statue visit and have mindfulness-ed the missing fortune part of this story. Missing fortunes are why we now have student loans. It’s a problem of time. Evidently, seven-in-ten families lose their fortunes by the second generation; nine-in-ten blow it all within three generations. I never had a chance for France.


Hold your horse there, King Charlamagne. Let’s ponder this. Why can’t we go to the other side of the family tree? The mother’s side. Maybe that’s where all the money lies.


Except for one little problem. That maternal side of the tree is a hard nut to crack and that reaches back to the ninth century as well.


Yes, the same ninth century when great-grandpa Charlemagne was having a grand old debauch at the expense of the French. At this time, across the Channel, our friends the English, were busily crafting the “doctrine of coverture,” which positioned a woman as “one” with her husband and stole her legal existence.


Another questionable call there England, but I’ll let it go.


Yet today, despite progress regarding equal rights, current stats claim almost 80 percent of newly married women choose to take their husband’s name in marriage. 


I mention this because, as I stated, it’s not an easy climb using the family tree’s maternal side to track a fortune.


My example: My mother’s maiden name was Sheehan. Her mother, following the tradition, assumed her husband’s name, Sheehan, and I traced that direct line back to Ireland until the late 1800s. According to custom then, my customary family tree starting from my father, tracks a direct paternal line to early America and on my mother’s side, through her direct paternal line, to County Cork, Ireland.


That’s not fair to the mothers, but it’s the way it’s set up. Totally paternal. Here’s what happens when you try it a different way. My mother’s, mother’s maiden name was Thirloway. Her mother’s name was Konen, whose mother’s name was Wallenhurst, whose mother’s name was Landover and so on. And all those names are paternally assigned. Good luck tracking a family fortune on Mom’s side of the tree.


I tried. No fortune to be found.


I did, however, find a far more valuable family treasure.


On March 14, 1941, Ensign John W. Acree was assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise and began his service in the Pacific campaign against the Japanese navy. The Enterprise crushed it through the Battle of Midway when it returned hastily to Pearl Harbor for repairs.


One month later, the Enterprise and recently promoted Lieutenant Junior Grade Acree, returned to action supporting Marines at Guadalcanal, Tulagi and the Solomons, where the carrier was damaged seriously by Japanese dive bombers. Lt. Acree led a fire team that extinguished the fires, checked flooding and repaired the vessel to enable another return to Pearl.


Damn, J-Dub, well done!


But he wasn’t finished. Once repaired, the Enterprise again engaged in the South Pacific theatre. On October 26, during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, the carrier USS Hornet was sunk and the Enterprise, again, was damaged gravely. Again, Acree went to work leading a fire team. John W. perished in the effort. He was buried at sea on the same day. The Enterprise survived.

 

Still, not finished.


On 9 May, 1943, the Destroyer Escort USS John W. Acree was launched and sailed to the Pacific. During her service through the end of WWII, the USS Acree earned five battle stars including a grand finale performance during the Mariana Islands Campaign.


Turns out John W. was a fourth generation Acree from Thomas Acree, the brother of my seventh-generation grandfather, John H. “Cashie” Acree, Sr.


Thank you, cousin John.


You can have France, King Charlemagne.


This treasure is generation proof and far more valuable.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram

© Copyright 2023 John C. Acree.  All Rights Reserved.

Site Optimization By: ACW Client Services

bottom of page